The Mighty Matterhorn

The Matterhorn is a one-of-a-kind piece of history that makes its home at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  Disneyland's Matterhorn was the world's first tubular steel roller coaster, paving the way for many of the modern thrill rides in operation today!


Disneyland's Matterhorn Mountain stands at approximately 147 feet tall and the coaster reaches around 25 - 27 miles per hour in speed.  The ride officially opened on June 14, 1959 along with two other attractions on the same day: The Submarine Voyage and the Disneyland Monorail.  The Matterhorn actually has two separate coaster tracks inside it, making it double the fun!








I love days where I can get Matterhorn pictures like this!  When the sky is perfect and the waterfalls are running!  To set the atmosphere even more: just imagine the sound of a roaring Abominable Snowman coming from inside the mountain!


The Matterhorn has always been one of those classic attractions we ride every trip.  Even though it can be a little rough of a ride, it's sure to bring a smile to my face and make me laugh.  If we have the time, we even try to ride both tracks!








One of those sights I love to see at Disneyland is a bobsled flying down the Matterhorn!  I'm sure many of you can agree with that!  That plus the now seemingly rare occurrence that Mickey Mouse himself climbs the Matterhorn!  The last time I personally saw the Mouse on the mountain was back in Spring 2008.


This last picture is my attempt at an "artsy" shot of the Matterhorn taken on the Tomorrowland side of the mountain while waiting in line to ride it.  I really enjoyed the look of it with the waterfall and the pine tree and hope you do as well!  Next time you're at the park, stop by the Mighty Matterhorn and take a ride down it's icy slopes!

It's A Fantasmic Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!


Today's Fantasmic Friday is a short and sweet post because I've had an extremely busy week!


First up is a picture of our friend Mickey Mouse in the beginning of the show with his fireworks!






Next up we have a close-up photo of one of the spinning fireworks during the finale of the show!






Last for this Fantasmic Friday we have a picture of Snow White and Prince Charming dancing on their raft during the show!  I was able to take this shot so close because I used my telephoto lens.  I was quite proud of this picture because of all the elements captured in it!  Snow White, her Prince, the fountains, and the lights on the raft!  Hope you enjoy!

The World is A Carrousel of Color

"The world is a carrousel of color!  Wonderful, marvelous color!  A rainbow of imagination.  A blue rolling sea, a red summer rose, a sunset in the sky.  Beauty untold is ours to behold, to dazzle your mind and your eye!"

"The wonderful world of color!  Wonderful, colorful, beautiful!  The wonderful world of color!  So wonderful, so beautiful to see!"


"Adventure is waiting, let it open your eyes!  Imagine and see what wonders can be, each journey can hold a surprise!"








World of Color is SUCH a beautiful show!  I've had the privilege to see it twice now and each time I watch it becomes even more beautiful to me!  Even as I sit here and write this post I'm listing to the music from the show as inspiration! :)  Both times I have seen this show it amazes me so much it brings tears to my eyes.








The first time I watched it (see pictures 2 and 3) I was in the very front and center!  There was no one in-between me and the water at all!  For those of you who have been to Disney California Adventure and seen the show, I was sitting in the "white" section.  To spare my camera from an almost certain watery death, I decided to use the ponchos I had brought for myself to shield my camera and my tripod.  It was quite a ridiculous looking setup but in the end my camera was perfectly dry and safe.  Me, on the other hand, was drenched, shaking, and cold.  If you know me or have seen a picture of me, you know I have really long blonde hair.  To give you an idea of just HOW drenched I was, I had to wring water out of my hair after the show!!  The second time I watched the show (picture 1) I was a little further back in the "yellow" section and had multiple ponchos this time!  Some for me and the camera!


And if you were wondering, the little white spot in the top center of the photos is the moon!  I was quite lucky this World of Color night and the moon was in JUST the right spot to be in all of my pictures!








I took tons of pictures of World of Color and will be posting many more in the future so be sure to stay tuned!  I thought today I'd give a little taste of my pictures from this magnificent show!  If you haven't had a chance to or haven't made time to see World of Color while you're at Disney California Adventure, please stop and take the time to see it!  It is a fantastic show that is definitely worth the wait.  I'm sure you'll be just as amazed by it as I am each and every time I see it!

Fantasyland Friday!

Per the request of some followers of Pics from the Pixie, this Friday's post will feature Fantasyland Friday!  So please, do remain seated with your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside and enjoy your ride! :)


We start today at the front of Fantasyland and the gateway to the rest of the land, Sleeping Beauty Castle! This particular photo I took this past November which is why it's decked out in it's Christmastime snow!  I love taking pictures of the castle from the side rather than straight on!  To me it changes the shot -just- enough to make it special! :)







Next was a picture I took next to Snow White's Wishing Well next to the castle.  I was there at that beautiful time of day where the sun is perfectly situated to light up the flags that are on the castle.  The light breeze that day added to my picture since it twisted the flag around nicely!







Our next stop on our tour of Fantasyland is back in Storybookland!  At the beginning of the Storybookland Canal Boats ride, you get "swallowed" by the mighty Monstro!  Just try not to bump into his teeth!







Also in Storybookland is the Casey Jr. Circus Train!  One of the views that is my favorite from this little train is where you have both the miniature Alps and the Matterhorn all in one look!  I think the big and little Matterhorns together are so cute!  I managed to get a picture of this the last time I was at Disneyland and you can see it here!  The day I took this picture it was extremely cloudy and rainy the whole day, hence the cloudy sky in the shot.







We move next to King Arthur's Carrousel in the middle of Fantasyland!  This lovely Carrousel has been at Disneyland since opening day and is a must-ride stop for me each time I go to Disneyland.  I took this picture of the pretty gold crown that sits atop the carrousel on a nice sunny day in the park and I hope you enjoy it!







Another fun Fantasyland ride is Snow White's Scary Adventures!  Ever since I was little I've had the attraction poster for this ride framed and hung up in my room.  The front of the ride to me is very striking and I love to take pictures of it!  The first picture is an interesting angle at the front of the building.  The second picture from this ride is of a gargoyle in the queue that I've always wanted to take a picture of and finally did!  Enjoy!












Our final stop on this Fantasyland Friday is back at it's a small world!  The picture I have today is one I purposely took because my Mom took this exact same picture back in about 1983 (or so).  I have the picture at home and loved how it looked, so I decided to take a "newer" version of the same picture!  It's neat to have the two side by side and they both look quite the same!







I hope you've enjoyed today's Fantasyland tour and I wish everyone a pleasant Spring weekend!  Please make sure you have all your belongings before you exit and step carefully out to your right! :)

Meeting Maynard

Many Disneyland fans have either heard stories about him or have even met him personally.  He's a legendary cast member by the name of Maynard.  I had the pleasure of finally meeting him this past July and it was an unforgettable experience!


Maynard has worked at Disneyland for long time and can usually be found either around the Opera House on Main Street, as "Tiki Maynard" at the Tiki Room, or occasionally as "Maynard's Evil Twin" at the Haunted Mansion.  He's an awesome guy who's full of great stories that will make you laugh and are sure to make your day at Disneyland a little more magical!


I'd always heard stories about Maynard but had never met him until this past summer.  I've always kept an eye out for him because I wanted to meet him!  On this summer day my boyfriend and I were walking past the Tiki Room and I looked over at the cast member at the entrance greeting guests and realized it was Maynard!  I immediately ran over to talk to him and to ask if I could get my picture taken with him.  What I wasn't expecting was Maynard to pull both me and my boyfriend aside and start telling us stories!  He talked to us for a good 20+ minutes and was telling us funny stories about the different Tiki Gods in the garden and how they like to steal the Dole Whip. :)


I was laughing the whole time during Maynard's stories and am so happy I had the chance to meet him!  He really was hilarious and was so kind to take the time to talk to us.  It was a joy to meet him and I hope I get to talk to him again someday!  Before we left Maynard took a couple pictures with me and I couldn't be happier!  I laugh every time I see the crazy look on his face!








The next time you're at the Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion, or Opera House on Main Street and see Maynard working, be sure to stop by and say hello!  He's super kind and will really add some laughs and a smile to your Disneyland day!

Happy Easter from Pics from the Pixie!

To all those who celebrate, I wish you a very happy Easter! :)

Happy 6th Birthday Expedition Everest!

Today's post comes with pictures from Walt Disney World!  Today is a special day because on this day in 2006, Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom opened!  So, without further ado:


HAPPY BIRTHDAY EXPEDITION EVEREST!







Expedition Everest is by far my favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World, hence all the pictures you will be seeing today! :)  Next up is an on-ride photo of Expedition Everest taken at the peak of the mountain, just before you drop backwards into the mountain!  That plus a picture taken on the lift hill while riding up to the top of the mountain.












The peak of Expedition Everest tops out at 199 feet high!  I've always thought the peak looks beautiful at sunrise, which I was lucky enough to get a couple pictures of one day at Animal Kingdom!












Anyone who's visited Expedition Everest will know the story of the mysterious and dangerous Yeti.  The Yeti is the guardian of the "Realm of the snows" and is a creature many explorers fear.  Signs around the attraction and in the queue warn everyone of the dangerous Yeti and to remember to "Respect Tradition". If you haven't yet traveled to Expedition Everest, do make sure when you go to beware the legend of the forbidden mountain!







Another thing I really love about Expedition Everest and the surrounding area are the beautiful prayer flags that hang and blow in the breeze!  Anytime I've seen picture of "real" ones of these I've thought they were so beautiful, so it was even a treat to see the ones at Animal Kingdom.  I just think those flags are so peaceful to look at plus they just add that extra authenticity to the area.  I made sure to get some good shots of Everest with these in the picture!












No trip to Animal Kingdom would be complete without me getting my picture taken with my favorite ride there, so that's exactly what I did!  This pic is of my and my boyfriend Andrew right before we ran over and got in line for Expedition Everest!







Finally, to conclude today's Happy Birthday post, I have a pic of Everest that makes me want to get in line for it right now!  I love pictures of the mountain with the train dropping out of it and I stood and waited to get the perfect shot of this!  This picture makes me smile every time I see it and I hope it does the same for you.  :)







So, to sum it all up, Happy 6th Birthday Expedition Everest and many wishes for years of roller-coaster fun to come! :)

Fireworks Friday - Magical

Happy Friday!


Another thing I LOVE to photograph is fireworks!  I've been trying some different styles lately to get some neat fireworks shots that I'm pretty happy with.  As always I'm working to improve the quality of my fireworks shots, but for a first try at this technique I'm happy with the results.  Another note about these photos: I did not take these with a tripod, they were completely handheld.


For those who enjoy technical camera stuff, this section is for you!  If not, please skip down to the photo :)  I took these shots using an extremely low ISO around 200 to keep them from getting fuzzy.  I also used a high F-stop around 22 so it would capture the light from the fireworks and keep the sky a dark black.  Finally, I usually set the shutter speed to "bulb" so that as long as I hold the shutter button down it keeps taking the picture.  This lets me time the shot to whichever fireworks I want so I can capture a full firework or multiple ones if I want as well.







This picture was taken this summer during the Magical fireworks show.  This one is my favorite because of all the colors in the one firework that I caught!  I even surprised myself that I got the shot completely still even though it was handheld!  Next up is a picture from the finale of Magical.  It's a little busy and has a lot of fireworks in the shot, but I do enjoy the sparkle it has!







The last photo for today I like because they have the big bright burst of light in the center of the firework!  I think that's the initial pop of light that happens right when the shell bursts before you see the rest of the firework. The white/gold sparkle above it is one of those little fireworks that crackle that just happened to go off in front of the one I was photographing.







Hope you enjoyed this fireworks Friday and I wish everyone a fantastic weekend!!! :)

Sleeping Beauty Castle in HDR

Today's post is short but hopefully quite sweet! :)


I've been playing around with editing my photos to make them have that HDR effect / feel to them and this is one of my first attempts at doing so.  I took this photo back in July 2011 and later applied the HDR edit to it to give it the look it has now!


I've always admired shots that have both the Castle and the Matterhorn in them so I finally took one myself!  I'm never sure why but somehow shots with the both of them together almost look miniature to me.  If you're someone who makes / takes HDR pictures your feedback with how to possibly improve this picture is greatly appreciated!  As always, I am working to improve my photography skills and would like to learn how to make my "HDR" shots better!  I don't do all my photos in HDR but I do like to have some of them with this effect.  Enjoy! :)